EPHEBE MUSEUM

The only museum in France devoted exclusively to underwater archaeology, the Musée de l'Ephèbe retraces the history of Agde, based on discoveries made at sea, in the Hérault and in the Etang de Thau. The first section highlights the collections of the Jeanne-Elisabeth, an 18th century Swedish merchant ship, and the armaments of the royal fleet; the second section bears witness to trade in antiquity with amphorae and mosaics; and finally, the "bronzes" which present the Ephesus, the museum's centerpiece to which it has given its name: a statue, symbol of the city of Agde. Built in 1984 by the architect Jean Le Couteur, it was erected around an 18th century farmhouse. "Fortune on board!" offers a look back at 12 years of excavation and study of the site of the Jeanne-Elisabeth. The exhibition delivers a detailed and sensitive look at the ship, its construction, its cargo, its men, its passengers, life on board, the shipwreck. The Ephesus of Agde is dated to the 2nd century BC. A bronze Etruscan tripod (^5th century BC), a Victory Wing and some exceptional pieces are a must: two Roman statues (Cupid and a young boy dressed in a Roman tunic and likely to represent Caesarion) are dated between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD. There is an important section of protohistory: the site of La Motte (Bronze Age habitat) and finally the bronzes from the Rochelongue site.